State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

If Feds Try to ID Deportable Immigrants Using Cal Data, State Will Block Access

Government Technology: Ever since Maribel Solache began teaching her own version of driver's ed in Spanish two years ago, the classes — held around San Diego County — have been jammed. She estimates she’s helped some 3,000 students earn their licenses. But lately, apprehension has smothered that enthusiasm.

“More people come with fear. They say ‘what is going to happen to my information?’ ” she said. “I tell them they have to get (their driver licenses) before January 20. Before Donald Trump.”

Her students are undocumented immigrants. So is Solache, who took her license test on the very day in January of 2015 that the state of California began offering immigrants here illegally the opportunity to become lawful drivers. Since then, the state Department of Motor Vehicles reports it has issued more than 792,000 licenses to undocumented drivers.

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